Hungary's parliamentary election on Sunday could reshape the country's political landscape after 16 years of dominance. Around 8 million voters out of a population of nearly 10 million are poised to choose between stability and change. Recent polls indicate that the Tisza party of Viktor Orban's centre-right, pro-European Union challenger Peter Magyar is comfortably ahead of the ruling Fidesz party, with a strong chance of securing a parliamentary majority.

Orban's campaign rhetoric that Hungary will be dragged into the war in Ukraine and that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be in charge has begun to sound hollow to long-time Fidesz supporters, such as Marta Bognar. She has voted for Orban for years but is now campaigning for his opponent in her hometown of Sumeg. Bognar told Al Jazeera she struggles to make ends meet or buy medication due to the ailing healthcare system, stating, "We need change. If there is no change, I believe there could even be a civil war."

Peter Magyar, a former loyal supporter of Orban, rose to prominence in 2024 during large protests over a scandal involving the country's justice system and a controversial presidential pardon in a child abuse case. He supports Orban's anti-immigration drive but promises to restore ties with the EU and return the frozen $18 billion that Brussels feared could be misused due to a lack of rule of law and erosion of democratic institutions. Magyar shouted from a stage in Sumeg: "Hungarians are freezing in their beds. In a few days it will all be over for this corrupt, mafia government."

The election outcome is hard to predict due to Hungary's complicated electoral system and changes Orban made to the boundaries of the 106 constituencies. In 2024, districts in the opposition stronghold of Budapest were reduced from 18 to 16. Of the 199 seats in parliament, 106 are determined by constituencies and 93 come from party results, which could favour the ruling party. On voting day, hundreds of volunteers will be stationed at polling stations nationwide to report any election fraud.

Orban's supporters, such as Florian Fustos at a rally in Tapolca, are convinced he will win. Fustos said, "For me and my partner, Orban is a safe choice. He supports young families to have children, which is important in an ageing society. I don't believe he can lose; the race is not as tight as the opposition says." By Sunday midnight, Hungarians should have a clear idea of whether the country will change course or not.

Source: www.aljazeera.com